Microsoft Access 2000 Gains New Scalable Storage Engine Options

DENVER, Oct. 12, 1998 — Microsoft Corp. today announced the Microsoft® Data Engine (MSDE), a SQL Server
&#153;compatible data engine for storing data in Microsoft Access 2000. Customers now can select among MSDE, an improved version of Jet 4.0 (which is the default Access 2000 data engine), or use Access as a front-end to Microsoft SQL Server versions 6.5 or 7.0.

Customers are able to choose the data engine that best addresses their specific needs, while continuing to enjoy the ease of use of Access 2000. MSDE offers customers 100 percent code compatibility with SQL Server, protecting customer investments as database needs grow. MSDE enables a developer to create a single Access 2000 client-server solution that scales from a PC running the Windows® 95 operating system and Access 2000 to multiprocessor clusters running SQL Server 7.0 and the Windows NT® operating system Enterprise Edition.

“Our Access customers told us overwhelmingly that they want increased compatibility with SQL Server technology,”
said Jon DeVaan, vice president of the desktop applications division at Microsoft.
“Now with Access 2000 client-server features, our customers can write their code once and then scale it from a laptop running Windows 95 to an SMP cluster running Windows NT Server Enterprise Edition.”

Microsoft Data Engine

The new Microsoft Data Engine is a local data storage engine that provides the smoothest migration path to SQL Server 7.0. Using MSDE as the Access data engine means that all information, tables, queries, reports, application code and stored procedures will automatically work with Microsoft SQL Server. Customers that later want to scale up their database can choose MSDE to make migration to SQL Server easier.

SQL Server 7.0 will introduce many powerful new capabilities including tight interoperability with Office 2000, allowing a new class of user to connect directly into their corporate information infrastructure. Office users can use the desktop applications they already know to quickly and easily access and analyze information stored in SQL Server 7.0 databases.

SQL Server 7.0 will be a defining release for Microsoft’s enterprise database products, building on the solid foundation established by SQL Server 6.5 and setting new standards in ease of use, scalability and reliability, and data warehousing. As the best database for Windows NT, SQL Server is the RDBMS of choice for a broad spectrum of corporate customers and independent software vendors building business applications.

Jet 4.0

Jet 4.0, the default Access data engine, is an improved version for desktop or file server databases with highly requested enhancements such as row-level locking and full UNICODE support for multinational databases. Jet is the best choice for customers that are seeking the best compatibility with previous versions of Access or that have only a small number of users simultaneously accessing their database.

Users with existing solutions based on prior versions of Jet can use the new version of Jet, or move their solution to MSDE or SQL Server with the help of the Access 2000 Upsizing Wizard. The Upsizing Wizard converts table structure and data as it has in the past, and now also moves Access queries to views and stored procedures.

Access 2000

Access 2000 will allow customers to easily find, manage and share their data with others. Access 2000 will also enable the easy creation of true enterprise-level client-server solutions using SQL Server to facilitate better access to information and better decision-making.

Access 2000 will be part of Office 2000 Premium and Office 2000 Professional. Pocket Access, which provides the ability to replicate data via ADO Access or SQL Server, will be available for Windows CE-based devices.

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